Scm group?

[John Sincerbeaux]

I am in the market for a new or used 20+" disc sander. I noticed one (DG60) that minimax/SCM offers that turns at only 900 rpm which is nearly impossible to find in new or used disc sanders.
So, I emailed them twice w no reply. I have called them twice and was transferred to two different sales reps. No callback???
This has been over two weeks time so the AWFS show is no excuse?
Anyone else experience this lack of customer service?

[peter gagliardi]

Get used to it if you want to deal with SCM. My experience is; they are your best bud if they can sell you something NOW, without a lot of questions and back and forth on the price. They also, generally do not educate themselves on what they are offering you, so if you ask a simple question like "what grade of bearings do you use in your shaper?" You will get "I will check and get back to you" then you never hear from them again.
Save your money, look for a State, Master, or even Oliver brand older disc sander of that size- usually $500-1500.00, and better than anything I have seen new offered for 5 times the price.
If you want slow, buy a VFD for $2-300.00.
Just my experience.

[Erik Loza]

I am in the market for a new or used 20+" disc sander. I noticed one (DG60) that minimax/SCM offers that turns at only 900 rpm which is nearly impossible to find in new or used disc sanders.
So, I emailed them twice w no reply. I have called them twice and was transferred to two different sales reps. No callback???
This has been over two weeks time so the AWFS show is no excuse?
Anyone else experience this lack of customer service?

Email sblasco-at-scm-group-dot-com or physically walk into Wurth Louis (TX SCM Group dealer) in Grand Prairie and talk to someone there.

Erik

[Erik Loza]

Get used to it if you want to deal with SCM. My experience is; they are your best bud if they can sell you something NOW, without a lot of questions and back and forth on the price.

I won't disagree with you except to say that with SCM Group, which is handled mostly through a dealer network, we need to make a distinction between the brand and the dealers who offer it. Yes, it is a hassle to get pricing and get in touch with the best asset to serve Classical customers but a good rep will get you taken care of. Sam Blasco is who I would talk to. If someone just calls Atlanta and says, "I'm interested in a such-and-such", that will get lost in voice mail cyberspace. You need to be talking to an authorized dealer.

Erik

[David Kumm]

I've never heard a bad report on Sam but for a disk sander, a used Kindt Collins Master is the way to go with a vfd. A State or Oliver are great as well but the K-C was the top of the top. I run at 50 hz as a disk that is too slow only cuts at the edges and the rest turns too slow. I'm not sure 900 rpm as a top end would be what I would want. Dave

[Darcy Warner]

I have a 37" double disc Oliver. 750 rpm.
Had a kindy, like the Oliver better. Of course it weighs 3600 pounds, which helps.

[Rick Fisher]

They're really special if you have a problem after the sale...

[David Kumm]

There isn't much to go wrong as the machines are very simple. It is all about the disk. How flat, how thick is the steel, and how stout the castings and trunnion are. A table that moves up and down on heavy trunnions is a big deal. Disk plates are at least 1/2" steel. Dave

[Brian Holcombe]

SCM has been good to me, Sam is top notch.

[Erik Loza]

They're really special if you have a problem after the sale...

This is my 2-cents. Folks can do with it what they will: You will find horror stories and unhappy customers with ANY of the manufacturers in the classical machinery market. The brand does not equal the experience. What equals the experience is the dealer or the sales rep who you (the customer) are dealing with. For example, I never really had any unhappy Minimax bandsaw customers. Yes, there were issues (again, like any mfr. has) such as freight damage, parts delivery, etc. But, I made it a priority to try to resolve those things to my customers' satisfaction as best I could.

My advice to any customer is that if you have a concern about the level of support you will receive, then don't buy a piece of machinery from a dealership or rep who you are not 100% comfortable with. Whether that is tech support, commissioning, or whatever. That, or assume some risk for the fact that you will be troubleshooting and doing the parts ordering on your own. Again, just because the owner's group moderator and all his buddies get the VIP treatment doesn't guarantee that the rest of us will. It is up to US, the customers, to do our due diligence as far as sorting out the "what if's" ahead of time. Hope this makes sense.

Erik

[John Sincerbeaux]

Thanks guys for your info/advice.
I like old machines, but in my search for older disc sanders I've learned that most old "classic" brands (as mentioned here)
come out of pattern makers shops/factories and these sanders would literally run 8 hours a day. There's a pretty nice MAX 20" on eBay but for....$3500.00. I have a hard time buying older machines (30+ years) for probably more than they sold for new?

[David Kumm]

For what little it is worth, I would not have a disk sander less than 24". There are a lot of high priced old sanders but if you have a little patience, a good Max, State, or KC 24" can be had for under 2K. They are sought after enough that it takes a little effort to find them at that price. Some had expensive bearings but little else that can go wrong. The risk reward thing is high for old machines but disk sanders less so than most. Your call but a maintained KC run forever is still a better machine than anything new priced at less than 2-3K. I have machines from the 1930's that hold their settings and still have room for adjustment. I understand not wanting to deal with old, but a 30 ( 40,50 ) year machine is not like a 30 year old car- if you buy the good stuff. Dave

[John Sincerbeaux]

As always Dave, your advice here and thru private messaging is appreciated and respected more than you know.
Thanks again.

[Joe Jensen]

They're really special if you have a problem after the sale...

Translation from Canadian to English, you are on your own on brand new machines that arrive missing parts.

[derek labian]

Translation from Canadian to English, you are on your own on brand new machines that arrive missing parts.

True that.

[Jacob Mac]

True that.


My experience, too.

I bought a Hammer slider just bc I couldn't bring myself to do business with them again.